Thursday, December 18, 2008

Now for the first time, the complete history of the illustrated James Bond is chronicled by pop culture historian Alan J. Porter in James Bond: The History Of The Illustrated 007. Porter’s new book examines James Bond’s adventures in newspaper strips and comic books.

Before Bond became world famous with his movie series, the character was the subject of successful English newspaper strips and later in comic books. With the explosion of Bond on the screen the character and his exploits become even more popular in comic strip and comic book versions all over the world. James Bond: The History Of The Illustrated 007 examines it all, and covers Bond’s newspaper strip and comic book appearances from the 1950s to the present.

Monday, December 1, 2008

The Young Bond Dossier has revealed all-new cover art for the US editions of Charlie Higson's SilverFin and Blood Fever. These new editions will be released alongside the US paperback Double or Die on March 10, 2009.

UPDATE: The Young Bond Dossier has now revealed the final cover art for the U.S. hardcover edition of Hurricane Gold (due April 7, 2009). CLICK HERE to view.

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Cover art for the paperback editions of Sebastian Faulks Devil May Care have been reveled on CommanderBond.net. The paperback edition will be released May 28, 2009, exactly one year after the much-hyped release of the hardcover.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

The Young Bond Dossier reports that Puffin has released a Hurricane Gold Limited Collector’s Edition in the UK. Limited to 999 copies (which means there is a copy #007 out there), the hardcover book is signed and numbered by author Charlie Higson and comes in an attractive slipcase.

The Hurricane Gold Limited Collector’s Edition is a Waterstone’s exclusive and retails for £25. It can be purchased online at Waterstones.com and Hatchards.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

The groundbreaking Young Bond online alternate reality game The Shadow War concluded yesterday with a very special live event hosted by author Charlie Higson.

Agents of the SIS and OGPU joined together to rescue “Major” Higson from the Schloss Donnerspitze. The mission included clues to decrypt, secret passages to find, and helping Charlie defuse a bomb...all live!

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

SilverFin: The Graphic Novelhas been released in the UK. Running 160 pages with approximately 300 full color illustrations, this first Young Bond graphic novel was written by Charlie Higson and illustrated by renowned comic book artist, Kev Walker.The Times calls the book “a bold and brilliant Manga-inspired treat.”

Friday, September 5, 2008

With By Royal Command Charlie Higson brings the Young Bond series in for a picture perfect landing, touching down cleanly and evenly on every aspect of James Bond’s past and future life. Within its own universe, By Royal Command is the equivalent of 2006’s Casino Royale or this year’s The Dark Knight -- a surprisingly profound, introspective, and ultimately tragic chapter that takes a leap in quality and maturity from all that has come before.

At the same time, By Royal Command is a kinder and gentler Young Bond novel that doesn’t have nearly the level of gruesome violence that has become a hallmark of the series (and may have actually gone too far in the last book). It’s an utterly surprising book in just about every way. Of course, all the Young Bond books have been individualistic and, in their own ways, surprises, so By Royal Command fits perfectly into a series that has never repeated itself.

CAUTION: SPOILERS AHEAD

By Royal Command is divided into three sections so distinct that it’s worth reviewing one section at a time.

PART ONE (“Kitzbuhel”) finds James Bond joining a school skiing party in the Austrian Alps. For my money, these pages contain Charlie Higson’s best work. Without much main plot to address, Charlie serves up an atmospheric slow burn. His descriptions of the Alps and his skiing details put the reader right into Bond’s snow boots. The reader is transported and even lulled into the beauty of the mountains. But then the clouds come in and so does the danger, and Charlie turns his skills toward creating a thrilling and frightening battle for survival. It’s brilliant and harrowing stuff. For those who have resisted the Young Bond series, read these first 100 pages and I guarantee you will pick up the entire series.

PART TWO (“Eton”) finds young James back at school in England, and here’s where the main plot and caper kicks in. For Fleming buffs, this is what they have been waiting for as we are finally introduced to the infamous “boys’ maid,” who Ian Fleming established in You Only Live Twice as being instrumental in Bond leaving the school. Yes, By Royal Command gives us the full “maid incident” and, no, it’s not sexual (well, at least not on the page -- adult readers may be able to read between the chapters). Feisty Roan Power is a raven-haired Irish beauty who likens herself to a witch, and young James falls hard for the older woman (she’s 17). Despite saying he’d avoid romance in the Young Bond series for fear of putting off his young male readers, Charlie takes the plunge and gives us a full-blown love story in By Royal Command.

But it’s clear from the very first chapters that Charlie is not necessarily writing a book for kids, or at least he is asking more of his young readers. By Royal Command is full of sophisticated political and historical references, especially in this second section (Bond has a historically fascinating conversation with the Prince of Wales), and the plotting is an intricate web of spy intrigue. Far from being a turn off, I expect even the youngest readers, having invested in the first four books, will be rapt with attention, waiting for the next revelatory shoe to drop. But even if they ultimately opt for the eels of SilverFin, the pirates of Blood Fever, the puzzles of Double or Die, or the death mazes of Hurricane Gold, the mature themes of By Royal Command will certainly attract over time and provide a perfect bridge to a possible Young Bond Series II (please oh please).

Interestingly, the big caper in By Royal Command – an attempt to assassinate King George during a visit to Eton – is resolved near the end of this second section, which still leaves a good 100 pages to go. This is where By Royal Command takes its most surprising turn.

In PART THREE (“Fugitives”), James Bond resolves to do the wrong thing – bigtime. He follows his heart instead of his new SIS controllers, says the hell with King and Country, and uses all his formidable skills to help Roan – revealed to be a communist conspirator – escape to Europe. It’s here that By Royal Command becomes a wonderful NOVEL, throwing off all conventions of a typical James Bond book. It’s as exhilarating for the reader as it is for Bond to be freed of convention and plunge back into Charlie’s wonderful descriptions of the Austrian Alps, this time during a summer bloom (nicely symbolic). But danger is close behind, and Higson throws us a wonderful surprise twist in the form of a returning character that plunges Bond back into familiar territory for an exciting climax, where we finally get a generous helping of Young Bond gore (I knew he couldn’t resist).

As for the very end… I’ll leave it to the reader to discover. Suffice to say, I was able to brings tears to the eyes of a female friend by just describing it.

Structurally, By Royal Command is somewhat similar to Devil May Care (the celebrated Centenary adult Bond novel by Sebastian Faulks), particularly in its post-caper third act flight. But By Royal Command has an emotional depth that the adult Bond adventure didn’t. There is a real sadness that permeates By Royal Command, a steady drip drip drip of Bond’s innocence, of which Bond is all too aware. After the bloody events of the past four books, especially the relentless Hurricane Gold, this James Bond wants nothing more than to live a normal schoolboy’s life. He’s a 14-year-old with post traumatic stress. (Ironically, the young Bond of By Royal Command is much more the damaged “old gunslinger” as described by Faulks.)

But Bond discovers he is fated to be a magnet for danger and death, and his reserves of stamina and strength in such situations have not gone unnoticed by leaders who soon need young men with such reserves. Not only does Bond lose what remained of his innocence in By Royal Command, it’s made clear to him that the world will soon lose what remains of its innocence as well. The specter of World War II and the Cold War looms large over this novel and, in the end, Bond is resigned that his will never be a normal life. In time, he will become a number.

Okay, what are the flaws? I’ll leave it to fandom to nitpick, but for me, I was never able to completely fall in love with Roan as I was past Bond girls. Maybe it’s because her calling James “darling” sounded to matronly. But this also contributed to the tragedy. Despite Roan’s own claims of love, Bond was clearly in a relationship that was one-sided. And after the last two books, some may find By Royal Command too light on gore and violence. But this is not a complaint I’d level. Like Blood Fever, I think this book strikes a perfect, realistic balance of all elements that make up a great James Bond novel.

So where does By Royal Command stand among the other Young Bonds? For me, it’s clearly the best -- which qualifies it as one of the very best James Bond continuation novels, period. For fans who still refuse to read the series based on the concept alone, it’ll be hard to justify why they won’t at least read By Royal Command, as it depicts a key event established by Fleming and IS a spy novel. While it’s preferable to have a knowledge of what came before (the book touches on all the past Young Bond novels with several returning characters), By Royal Command can still be read as a stand alone.

While there has been talk of more Young Bond adventures at some point in the future, Charlie makes it clear in his acknowledgments that By Royal Command is the end of a five book cycle started in 2005 with SilverFin.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

What an amazing few weeks it’s been for Bond fans. We’ve had the release of the newest Young Bond bestseller, By Royal Command, the Young Bond alternate reality game, The Shadow War, is going strong and, oh yeah, some sort of trailer was released.

Luckily, in the midst of all the excitement, I was able to sit down for an informal iChat with the man at the center of the action, Charlie Higson.

For talk of Irish maids, airships, Nazi sympathizers, and why Charlie thinks he may have screwed up his chances for a knighthood, click below and go:

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

James Bond is BACK in Charlie Higson’s fifth Young Bond adventure,By Royal Command.

By Royal Command sees James Bond thrown into the midst of a dangerous, spy-ridden plot that threatens to put both King and country at risk. Set between the two World Wars and moving between Eton and the chilling slopes of the Austrian Alps, By Royal Command sees the young James Bond put to the test as never before. Not only are his bravery and loyalty on trial, but the arrival of a pretty, young maid at Eton also teaches him a lesson of the heart.

By Royal Command completes Charlie’s five book cycle of Young Bond novels that began in 2005 with SilverFin. Says Charlie, “It’s a great way to finish off the series, and at the end of it we really feel that James is poised for the next phase of his life.”

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

To tie-in with the release of the new James Bond film, all Ian Fleming's short stories are being published in one volume for the first time. The new collection, titled Quantum of Solace, includes: From a View to a Kill, For Your Eyes Only, Quantum of Solace, Risico, The Hildebrand Rarity, Octopussy & The Living Daylights, The Property of a Lady, and 007 in New York.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Author Charlie Higson launched the new Young Bond alternate reality game, The Shadow War, during his appearance at the Edinburgh Book Festival today.

Today fans are asked to choose a side. You can play as either a British SIS agent or a Soviet OGPU spy in anticipation of the first full Mission which will launch on Wednesday, 27th August.

The Shadow War will total seven exciting missions, culminating on 8th October with a live event, hosted on the game site and featuring Charlie Higson, in which players will be able to ask questions and influence the end of the game.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Today Puffin Books announces a new Young Bond alternate reality game, The Shadow Waron www.youngbond.com. This groundbreaking game is the first alternate reality game made specifically for children around books. The launch will precede publication of the fifth book in Charlie Higson’s best-selling Young Bond series, By Royal Command, on 3rd September 2008.

The Shadow War is a gripping interactive online game which will put Young Bond fans in the shoes of a British SIS agent or a Soviet OGPU spy. They will embark on a story that spans seven missions over seven weeks. The game starts on the 23rd August, when Charlie Higson will set the first mission during his appearance at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. Players around the world will use a range of media, including the Young Bond books themselves and the worldwide web, to complete the missions and influence the outcome of the game.

Written by Charlie Higson and developed by specialist creators of alternate reality games Six to Start, The Shadow War is an innovative combination of reading, story-telling and online gaming. It is designed for children aged 9 plus, but can be enjoyed by adults too, and is played free of charge. Set within the Young Bond world, the game will allow fans to explore familiar locations and see memorable characters from the series – including James Bond himself.

Charlie Higson comments, “I'm really excited about this new Young Bond game, which offers a parallel experience to reading the books. As it is a perfect combination of game playing and poking about on the internet, it’s right up my street. My only regret is that I won’t be able to play it myself as I have been so closely involved in the design of it!”

From 11th August 2008, fans can sign up to play the game by visiting www.youngbond.com. The game culminates on 8th October with a live event, hosted on the game site and featuring Charlie Higson, in which players will be able to ask questions and influence the end of the game.

Thursday, July 31, 2008

The Young Bond Dossier has two official updates today on Charlie Higson's fifth Young Bond, By Royal Command.

First, it appears the release date has been pulled forward a day to September 3, 2008 (note the new promo art left).

Next, the site reports the cover art will be kept "Top Secret" until the day of publication. The last time Puffin concealed cover art was to shroud the title Double or Die, which was selected in a competition.

By Royal Command finds James Bond in action from England to the chilling heights of the Austrian Alps. It will be released in the UK as a hardcover and audiobook.

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Charlie Higson’s fourth Young Bond bestseller Hurricane Gold has been released in paperback. Even those who picked up the hardcover last September will want to grab a copy of the paperback as it contains an exclusive extract from the next Young Bond novel By Royal Command (due out September 4) and a special five-page preview of SilverFin The Graphic Novel (due out October 2).

Fans will also what to be on the lookout for “The Young Bond Collection”, a limited signed box set collection of the first three Young Bond novels, SilverFin,Blood Fever, and Double or Die, released in the UK as a Borders exclusive.The sets are limited to 1000 and retail for £30.00.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

A very special limited edition of Sebastian Faulks' Devil May Care is available for collectors with deep pockets. Limited to only 300 copies, Penguin will release 200 while U.S. publisher Doubleday will release 100. Price: $1500.00.

So what makes this special edition SO special? Check out the clip below.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Cover art for the highly anticipated SilverFin graphic novel, due for release in the UK on October 2, 2008, has been revealed on The Young Bond Dossier.

SilverFin: The Graphic Novel is written by Young Bond author Charlie Higson and illustrated by renowned artist Kev Walker. Based on the bestselling first Young Bond novel, this graphic novel adaptation will run 160 pages with approximately 300 full color illustrations.

Friday, May 2, 2008

To celebrate the release this month of Charlie Higson’s fourth Young Bond novel Hurricane Gold in paperback, Puffin is giving fans a chance to adopt a genuine West African Dwarf Crocodile from the Whipsnade Zoo!

Click below for details and entry form at the official Puffin website.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Young James Bond is BACK in the USA in Charlie Higson’s third Young Bond novel, Double or Die. Released today by Hyperion Books for Children, the UK bestseller finds James searching for a kidnapped teacher in the darkest and most dangerous corners of 1930s London. (Click for review)

The new Double or DieU.S. hardcover sports breathtaking cover art by Kev Walker (who will provide artwork for the SilverFin graphic novel later this year). An unabridged Double or Dieaudiobook read by Nathaniel Parker is also released today by Random House as a 7 CD set ($37.00) and as an audio download ($18.95).

Says author Charlie Higson, “Double or Die is a new start for Young Bond in the states and I’m very excited about its release.”

Monday, April 14, 2008

Puffin Books has released promotional art and a fantastic all-new plot synopsis for Charlie Higson's fifth Young Bond novel, By Royal Command.

Following a treacherous rescue mission high in the freezing Alps, James Bond is preparing for life back at Eton. But James is under surveillance; his every move is being watched. He alone holds the clue to a sinister plot that will bring bloodshed and carnage to his school - and his country.

Forced to flee from Eton to Austria, James must leave behind everything he knows, with only a beautiful - and dangerous - girl by his side.

Soon he is trapped in a deadly war of secrets and lies, as a nightmare reunion with a bitter enemy plunges him once more into the face of death.

Life for James Bond will never be the same again.

By Royal Command will be released in the UK as a hardcover and audiobook on September 4, 2008.

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Disappointing news today for U.S. Young Bond fans. It appears Charlie Higson will not be making a U.S. book tour promoting the release of Double or Die.

Charlie previously “crossed the pond” for the releases of SilverFin and Blood Fever.

Double or Die will be published by Hyperion Books for Children on April 22. An unabridged U.S. audiobook from Random House is scheduled for release on the same day. Says Charlie Higson, “Double or Die is a new start for Young Bond in the states and I’m very excited about its release.”

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Young Bond’s most daring adventure yet takes him from England to the chilling heights of the Austrian Alps. When his whole world explodes, James is forced to go on the run, pursued by enemy agents and the British authorities. James must choose between friendship and duty. His life will never be the same again…

Sunday, February 24, 2008

The author has been writing the book in Italy for the past month and will deliver his manuscript only a week behind schedule. A major Fleming echo will be the inclusion of Hannes Oberhauser, Bond’s climbing and skiing instructor whom 007 later referred to as “something of a father to me at a time when I happened to need one.”

Also, there is a title! While it can’t be revealed just yet, Higson reports that the title is very Flemingesque, and it is notThe Shadow War, Diamond Rain, Dynamite Kiss, or any of the other working titles.

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Looks like fans will get a preview of the next Young Bond adventure as early as May 28. That’s the day the paperback edition of Charlie Higson’s Hurricane Gold is released, and according to newly released cover art, the book will include an exclusive extract from Young Bond 5!

While the U.S. paperback edition of SilverFin featured a Blood Fever extract, this is a first for a UK paperback.

Young Bond 5 will be released in hardcover on September 4, 2008. Charlie Higson is currently hard at work on this final Young Bond novel.

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Welcome to 2008, a year that promises to be a HUGE year for the Bond fan. Not only do we have a new film going into production in just a few day's time, but there is an avalanche of new James Bond books ready to pour forth from Ian Fleming Publications and their publishing partners. Below is a list of what fans can expect from the literary 007 in 2008.

Ian Fleming Centenary stampsThe Royal Mail will pay tribute to James Bond starting January 8 when it releases a series of stamps featuring different covers of the original Ian Fleming novels.

German Young Bond releasesFebruary sees Charlie Higson's fourth Young Bond novel is released in Germany as Reden ist Silber, Schweigen ist tödlich (Talk is Silver, Silence is Deadly). Book 3, titled Goldenboy in Germany, will be released as an audiobook read by actor Rufus Beck.

The Bond Code: The Dark World of Ian Fleming and James BondThis unofficial paperback by Philip Gardiner promises to "radically reappraise everything we thought we knew about James Bond and his creator" by decoding occult clues, ciphers, and codes within the Ian Fleming novels. Sounds pretty kooky, but at least it's an original approach to a Bond study. Release date March 1. Amazon.com

Double or Die U.S. editionThe third Young Bond adventure finally makes it to America on April 22. Charlie Higson's Double or Die will be published as a hardcover by Hyperion Books for Children and an audiobook by Random House. The book sports cool new atmospheric cover art by artist Kev Walker. "Double or Die is a new start for Young Bond in the states and I’m very excited about its release," says Charlie Higson.

Dr. No radio adaptationIn April, BBC Radio 4 will present a radio dramatization of the 7th Ian Fleming James Bond novel, Dr. No, with Toby Stephens (Die Another Day) voicing 007.

For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James BondThis non-fiction book by Ben MacIntyre is set to coincide with the Imperial War Museum exhibit of the same name. For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond looks at the influences that went into the creation of James Bond. Publication date in the UK is April 7 (Amazon.co.uk) and in the U.S. on April 29 (Amazon.com).

French Hurricane GoldOn April 15 Gallimard Jeunesse will release Hurricane Gold in France under the title Menace sur l'Eldorado (Threat on the El Dorado).

Bound Bond: Ian Fleming & The Art of Cover DesignThis exhibit will be on show at the Fleming Collection gallery from 22 April to 28 June 2008. Bond Bound: Ian Fleming & The Art of Cover Design charts the role of artists and designers in creating and defining the Bond look from Casino Royale through Young Bond, The Moneypenny Diaries, and Devil May Care. No word yet if there will be an accompanying book...but here's hoping!

The Moneypenny Diaries: Final FlingWas Miss Moneypenny murdered? The Moneypenny Diaries trilogy concludes on May 1 with the UK hardcover publication of Final Fling by Kate Westbrook (aka Samantha Weinberg). Amazon.co.uk

James Bond The Authorized BiographypaperbackMay 1 also sees the first UK paperback reprint in 30 years of John Pearson's James Bond The Authorized Biography.

The Moneypenny Diaries U.S. editionWhile Miss Moneypenny takes her "final fling" in the UK, she's just getting started in the U.S. with the long overdue publication of book 1, The Moneypenny Diaries on May 13. I've gotten a sneak peek of the U.S. cover art, and it's spectacular!

Devil May CareClearly THE Bond literary event of 2008 is the highly anticipated worldwide release of Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks ("writing as Ian Fleming") on May 28. Set in 1968, Devil May Care picks up where Fleming left off. "It's the return of the gunfighter for one last mission," says author Faulks. The book is being release in hardcover by Penguin 007 in the UK (Amazon.co.uk) and by Doubleday in the U.S. (Amazon.com). Audiobooks and large print editions are planned for the same day, as are dozens of international editions. Prepare for Bondmaina!

Hurricane Gold UK paperbackOn May 28, Charlie Higson's golden 2007 bestseller Hurricane Gold will be published in paperback with slick new cover art to match the other books in the series. It will also contain a preview extract from Young Bond 5.

Ian Fleming reprintsAlong with Devi May Care, IFP and Penguin 007 are celebrating the Centenary of Ian Fleming's birth by reprinting all 14 original Ian Fleming James Bond novels in hardcover with new cover art by Michael Gillette on May 29. Click here for the full list.

Quantum of Solace: The Complete James Bond Short StoriesOn May 29 Penguin will release a volume that for the first time collects all the Ian Fleming James Bond short stories, including Quantum of Solace, the title of which is being used for the new James Bond film. (Amazon.co.uk)

The Paradise PlotTitan Books continues reprinting the classic James Bond comic strips with The Paradise Plot due on June 27 (Amazon.co.uk). The collection will also contain the story Deathmask. Lois Chiles provides the introduction.

By Royal CommandThe fifth book in the Young Bond series, By Royal Command, comes out in hardcover in the UK on September 4th. The book finds young James battling spies in the Austrian Alps and England. The British Royal Family will also be involved in Young Bond's final adventure. Of all his books, Charlie Higson says this one will be the most Bond-like in themes and scoop and hints that it will echo OHMSS. I'm betting this will be the Bond book to beat this year. Expect an audiobook edition as well. (Amazon.co.uk)

SilverFin Graphic NovelJames Bond returns to the world of the graphic novel in an adaptation of the bestseller first Young Bond novel SilverFin by Charlie Higson. With artwork by Kev Walker, this is a must buy on October 2 (Amazon.co.uk).

The Union TrilogyPegasus Books will release a Raymond Benson James Bond omnibus in October 2008. The collection will contain 'The Union Trilogy" -- High Time To Kill, Doubleshot, and Never Dream of Dying -- plus the complete uncut version of the short story Blast From The Past (never before published in English).

PolestarTitan Books second release of 2008 is Polestar due November 4 (Amazon.com). No word yet what other stories the collection will contain.